Lonely Hearts
by FinFiniFinito
Summary: It's been ten years since the Player Character, Rin, defeated Leon and became the next Champion of Galar. A lot has changed during that decade... Except for her feelings for her best friend's older brother. Unfortunately, he only sees her as his baby brother's best friend. ...or does he?
1. Chapter 1

1

Crossing Paths

It's been ten years since our paths crossed.

Ten years since Rose tried to fix a hypothetical problem a thousand years in the future, and almost brought down our entire world.

Ten years since I beat _him_ on that battle field.

As his gigantamaxed Charizard collapsed to my Inteleon's final Hydro Pump, I was watching _his_ face.

It was like watching a beautiful hothouse flower wilt in the middle of a blizzard.

Horror and regret filled me as I realized what I had done.

Shown that a Champion like Leon can bleed.

I hadn't meant to get so far.

To be honest, I just wanted to spend time with Hop, my childhood best friend.

Hop wanted to be just like his older brother and become the next Pokemon Champion.

I wanted to be with Hop.

Pokemon never figured that deeply into my life; we had a Meowth as a pet and Budews in my mother's treasured garden, but aside from that and the occasional petting of a Wooloo that happened to cross my path, I didn't particularly care for them.

That's not to say I disliked them.

Certainly not.

They were just…there.

As a child, I had a bit of a crush on Hop, and that's why I felt compelled to follow him on his journey.

Imagine my surprise when I just kept…winning.

Imagine my surprise when I grew to enjoy the sensation of never losing.

I wondered if that's how Leon had felt.

When I stood on that pitch before him, a skinny twelve year old girl with thick spectacles, in a too-large jersey that hung off her narrow shoulders, I wonder what went through his mind.

Did he even have an inkling that he would be the one to walk off the field first?

_She__'s just a girl. _

_She__'s my baby brother's best friend. _

_I should go easy on her._

_If I don__'t, Mom's gonna give me hell when I go home._

Surely, those thoughts went through his mind.

I derived no joy from watching him leave, the loser in the final match to decide the Champion of Galar.

Indeed, I chased after him after the award ceremony, half-blinded from all the bright camera lights, my eardrums blown from all the high-pitched screeching of microphones shoved in my face as reporters fought to ask me questions after questions about how I felt.

How did I feel?

Bereft.

I eventually found him in the park behind the stadium, leaning against a tree, staring up at the endlessly starry sky.

He had lost his cap.

His cape was balled up into one tight fist.

He was so deep in thought that he didn't hear me the first time.

I cleared my suddenly tight throat and tried again.

"Um. Leon?"

He started visibly, his amber eyes luminous under the pale moonlight filtering through the tree branches. "Rin! Hey, congratulations!"

Sticking the hand clutching his cape behind his back, almost as though embarrassed about it, he came to me, his free hand held out like he wanted to give me a congratulatory handshake.

I stared at the hand he offered and shook my head.

"No," I said quietly.

The hand trembled slightly, but he kept it gamely up, his usual confident smirk on that handsome, tanned face. "What's up, kiddo?"

For some reason, the word "kiddo" made my hackles rise.

I guess, at the age of 12, I was still a kid.

Certainly, compared to Leon, I was.

"Are you sure you want to call me that?" I asked, watching his face carefully.

The play of emotions flitting across his eyes was fascinating. "What? Kiddo?"

He was confused. Uncertain.

In more ways than one, I had won. Again.

"You'd have to admit you lost to a kid."

Thankfully, he withdrew his hand and scratched the back of his neck, a gesture that was reminiscent of Hop when I had caught him out on a lie.

"Aw, come on," he replied, his voice light and airy. "You might be a kid, but above all that, you're a Pokemon trainer. And when I faced you on that field, that's how I saw you. As a trainer that I had…"

He let out an abrupt burst of laughter and turned to stare back at that full moon.

"Endorsed. Beaten by a trainer that I personally endorsed." He shook his head, still laughing a little under his breath. "Man, if I had known that day that you'd beat the piss out of me and my Poke—"

"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry."

The words tumbled out of my mouth, helter-skelter, the syllables tumbling head over heels over each other.

He stared at me, one brow quirked.

A lump formed in my throat.

I stared down at the ground, hands shoved into my pockets. "It's unfair. I know. I understand. I know you think I'm a kid, but I get it."

He was quiet for a moment.

I would've paid anything to know what kind of expression was on his face, but I was too much of a coward to lift my chin.

"What's unfair? Get what?"

"That—that someone like me won." I licked my dry lips. "Over some…someone like you."

The voice hitched in my throat and my vision wavered as heat pricked the corners of my eyes.

Frustration.

I was frustrated.

And so, so, so very sorry.

"You've been a hero for a long time. Everyone loves you," I continued. "It's not fair that some nobody like me should take your place. It wasn't supposed to happen. It was just luck. I haven't worked nearly as hard as you, haven't built as much rapport with my Pokemon as you have."

My voice lowered to a whisper.

"_I shouldn't have won."_

Grass crunched underneath his faint footfalls and he went down to his haunches in front of me.

He was tall enough that this made him eye level with me, which was exactly what I _didn__'t _want.

I was embarrassed to meet his gaze and focused on one broad shoulder as I swiped at the hot tears pouring down my cheeks.

Sheesh.

How embarrassing.

He was going to think I'm a baby for crying like this.

I tried to laugh it off. "I'm sorry, I don't know why I'm crying like—"

He reached for me and for some reason, I flinched.

I don't know why.

Did I think he was going to hit me?

His hand cupped around my face and the breath caught in my throat as his thumb smoothed away my tears.

This close to him, I was completely mesmerized.

It wasn't just his handsome face.

It wasn't just the fact that he smelled really good, like freshly cut grass and the faintest hint of my mom's spring lilies.

But it was the look in his eyes.

Tenderness.

A soft smile curved his lips as he brushed away the last of my tears.

"You won," he said, voice low. "Fair and square. I regret nothing."

"So—" I hiccuped suddenly and immediately wanted to bury myself ten feet under, as his smile widened.

He patted me on the shoulder. "It's okay. Better out than in, right?"

I took a deep breath, trying to stop the faint hiccups that were itching up my esophagus. "You don't…you don't hate me?"

His eyes widened, dramatically. It was obvious he was putting on an act, trying to lighten the mood and make me feel better.

"Of course not! How could I? Getting beaten by a cute girl like me was the highlight of my career."

He withdrew his hand and stood back up.

"In fact, I hope it happens again. Real soon." He winked at me and tugged off a Pokeball hanging off his belt. "How about now?"

It was then when I think I fell in love with him.


	2. Chapter 2

2

A Disturbance in the Force

"Champion Rin!"

I'm rushing down the hallway, checking my watch every few seconds.

I don't know why I bother. It doesn't make me feel better; in fact, the constant tick-tocking of the second hand only deepens my anxiety.

I can't be late.

I absolutely can't be late.

I will kill myself if I'm late.

Either that or Mom will.

"Champion Rin, please wait!"

A hand clamps around my wrist, but I shake it off, my steps echoing loudly on the tiled floor of the Hammerlocke's Pokemon Training Center. "Look, I'm sorry to leave like this, but I need to go! I'm not going to be late for my best friend's wedding!"

I still can't believe it.

Hop was getting married?

Jeez.

We're only twenty-two years old.

Who told him it was okay to start acting like an adult and do adult things?

My personal assistant and third highest ranking trainer of the center places herself firmly in my way, fists placed on her hips.

"I promise we'll get you to Postwick with plenty of time to spare, but this has to be seen to first."

There's a grim look on her face, her lips pressed so thin they've almost disappeared.

I groan, frustration giving my words a harder edge than I intend. "I'm not. I'm not doing another interview. Why in God's name do they feel compelled to interview me every week? I've had microphones shoved in my face for the last ten years and damn it, that's not happening today."

Sara's brows furrow. "This…this isn't about that."

I resist the urge to skirt around her, but she's annoyingly stubborn.

An admirable trait as a trainer, but as an adversary, it can get rather maddening.

Momentarily, I entertain the idea of getting a Shiinotic to blow a handful of Sleep Powder into her face.

But I can't do that to her, no matter how satisfying I'd find it.

"Okay, what is so damn important that it absolutely cannot wait and must be handled immediately?"

The corners of her lips twisted down. "Gym Leader Bede's in your office."

_Oh damn. _

I stare at her, caught off guard. "From Ballonlea? What the hell does he want?"

I don't know why I'm asking her.

After all, I'm about to find out.

She's right, I have to deal with him now, or there'd be hell to pay later.

Bede's got the temper of an enraged Gyarados and is about as easy to assuage.

That is to say, not at all.

"Please," she said. "Please just meet him, Rin."

_And get rid of him _is the unspoken but rather obvious plea.

Who could blame her?

Hardly anyone liked Bede and that included those poor souls who have joined his Psychic and Fairy-type specializing gym.

If I didn't deal with him now, he'd likely turn my training center _and_ my trainers upside down.

I might return from Postwick to find the entire place burned down to the foundations, either literally or figuratively.

Last time the conceited jackass came by, he made two of my trainers quit and the main battle field had to be repaved after he absolutely wrecked it with his Rapidash's Drill Run.

I can't deal with that kind of nonsense again.

I check my watch again.

The ceremony is supposed to start at six and it was already almost noon.

It would take roughly five hours from Hammerlocke Station to the tiny station in Postwick, assuming there were no delays.

Praying there isn't going to be a Snorlax asleep in the middle of the tracks like last time, causing a near three-hour delay, I sigh and hold up my hands in surrender.

Sara puts a hand on her check and sighs in relief.

"You win," I grumble. "Let's go see what Bede wants."


	3. Chapter 3

3

I Remember Why I Hate You Now

My steps felt heavier as I trudged back to my office in the back of the training center.

The station was practically calling my name.

_You__'re going to miss your best friend's wedding. _

_There__'s no way Bede's going to let you leave in time. _

I clenched my jaw and shook my head.

No.

Bede would get five minutes of my time and nothing more.

With the knowledge that I'd run out in the middle of one of Bede's famous lengthy pontifications if I had to, manners be damned, I felt marginally better as I opened the door to my office and stepped into the bright, airy space that I'd called my second home for the last four years.

"Gym Leader Bede!" I called out lightly and gave him such a wide smile that it almost hurt. "What an absolute pleasure to see you!"

He sat in front of my desk, an ankle propped on the opposite knee.

It was an improvement, for sure. The last time he was here, I found him _behind _my desk, thumbing through my private correspondences and checking the messages on my desktop Rotom.

The nerve.

He gave me that trademark Bede smirk that I've grown so accustomed to since meeting him a decade ago when we both fought for the title of Champion.

"Well, well, kept me waiting long enough, haven't you?"

My smile started cracking at the edges. "I was actually on my way to Postwick. I've got a wedding to attend."

The threat was unspoken, but quite explicit.

_And if you make me miss it, I__'ll make you regret you, you overgrown piece of fluff. _

Which…was me being incredibly uncharitable.

Bede was a good-looking kid, just on that edge of androgynous beauty that made it difficult for people to guess if he was a boy or a girl.

Ten years later, he still possessed the delicate features that made him such a popular promotional figure in the Galar region.

The cameras and magazines absolutely loved him, as did most of the women (and some men, if I'm being honest), I thought.

As long as he kept his damn mouth shut, I had to admit, it was hard not to be enthralled by his almost unearthly beauty.

A slim, angular face, rosebud lips, with pale skin the color of driven snow.

With his white hair now flowing about his shoulders, instead of a mass of curls that used to look like a helmet protecting his head, Bede was undeniably the most eye-catching and charismatic of all of Galar's gym leaders.

He got way more airtime than I did, something that absolutely exasperated my trainers, but was absolutely fine with me.

Bede enjoyed the limelight, practically preened whenever a camera was pointed in his direction, while I tended to slump my shoulders and dive behind the nearest person for cover.

It's something that really annoyed Sara, but what can I say?

I didn't get into this business for the glamour and glitz.

To be fair, Bede probably didn't either, but I was sure he didn't refuse any newspaper or magazine outlet that wanted to feature him in their latest edition.

"You're staring at me." He gave me what he probably thought was a bashful half-grin.

But I knew there was nothing bashful or even half about him.

Bede, for all his faults, was all or nothing.

And in some small way, I suppose I respected him for that.

"I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable," I replied. "But you're, as always, stunning."

I can't lie, so I don't even bother.

Besides, I knew Bede would love any bit of praise I threw in his direction, no matter how much he tried to hide it.

He put a slender finger to his chin and turned it one side, showing me his sculpted profile. "Are you falling in love with me?"

I'd sooner fall in love with a Seviper than Bede, but again, I couldn't say that out loud.

Instead of taking a seat, I chose to stand to further illustrate my lack of time.

"So, what brings the Balloonlea Gym Leader to Hammerlocke?"

He snorted. "You mean, aside from the utter lack of anything to do there? Balloonlea's nightlife is nigh inexistent. Unless you're into getting high with Impidimps." He grimaced. "Which is only fun the first couple of times."

"Then go to Spikemuth if you're looking to club," I replied. "I'm told Hammerlocke's nightlife pales in comparison."

"Perhaps." He waved a hand in the air. "I suppose Spikemuth isn't the worst place to spend an evening. Although, it is kind of a shithole."

My face was carefully blank as I wondered what Marnie and her band of fans would say if they heard him say such disparaging things about their hometown.

Bede definitely wouldn't be able to walk out of this room under his own power, that was for sure.

He cleared his throat. "Actually, I've come to share some news you might find interesting."

"Oh?"

Bede, for all of his gossipy, slightly malicious ways was notorious close-mouthed when it came to things that actually mattered.

At least, I hope this mattered.

He inspected his perfectly manicured fingernails in a show of casual nonchalance, but there was something about the set of his shoulders that made me think otherwise.

He was putting up a front.

More than usual, I mean.

"Bede?"

His jawline tightened. "It's just a rumor of course. I've sent a few of my trainers over there to confirm the details."

"What details? Over where?" Even though I was painfully aware that every second I spent with someone as annoying as Bede was one second I wasn't spending with people whose company I genuinely enjoyed, I couldn't help but lean forward in my seat, hanging on to his every word.

"Have you ever heard of a town called Viridian City?" he asked.

I closed my eyes for a moment and massaged the bridge of my nose as though I could elicit memories of something that likely never existed in the first place.

I've never really been very good at anything but Pokemon training, unfortunately.

"I…want to say yes, but I'm going to be cautious and say no," I admitted. "Where is that? It doesn't sound like any place in Galar."

"Contrary to its rather ambitious name, it's a small town in the region of Kanto," he continued. "A little hamlet of a village, rather provincial from what I'm told. I personally wouldn't be caught dead in such a place, but…"

He paused, looking down. "I suspect I may not have much of a choice."

"Wh—what do you mean?"

"A few days ago, we had a trainer come into our gym. Quite an interesting fellow by the name of Stone. Apparently, he's traveling the world in search of rare gems." Bede let out a short, almost derisive laugh. "Name's just a little on the nose, don't you think?"

"I'm assuming he has something to do with this place called Viridian Town?"

"City," he replied. "But yes. As a guest, I had the privilege of battling him. An interesting roster of Pokemon, I might add. He had with him a fascinating specimen he called Metagross that I found to be quite—"

I held up my hand. "I hate to be rude, but could you get to the point?"

As much as I would have enjoyed hearing about other region's Pokemon, I knew there was no way he had come to my office all the way from Ballonlea just to wax philosophical about Pokemon.

Bede just wasn't that kind of guy.

He coughed, a faint wash of pink creeping up his pallid cheeks. "Hang on, I was getting to it, you know."

"And _it _is?"

"I'll get straight to the point then."

_Thank goodness. _

"Have you heard of something called the Pokerus?"

I blinked. "The what?"

"I think it's also known as the Pokemon Virus. It seems to have originated from Mr. Stone's home region, Johto."

"Johto?" My head was whirling from the influx of names I'd never heard of. "Weren't we talking about Kanto? Where's Johto?"

"Will you just shut up and listen?"

I resisted the urge to reach across the table, wrap my hands around Bede's slender white neck, and start squeezing.

"And I told you that I'd give you five minutes. For God's sake, Bede, can't you think about anyone but yourself for more than a few seconds? I should be at the station right now going to Hop's wedding, but instead I'm here, listening to you blather on about some guy named Stone from Viridian Town or whatever. Get to the goddamned point already!"

Bede was quiet for a moment, observing me carefully.

I hated the look in his eyes.

There was a calm sort of…_finality _in the set of his brows, his posture.

I didn't trust it.

Bede was a ball of energy, always doing or saying something.

That he was quietly watching me was incredibly disconcerting.

He tilted his head to one side, hands folding in his lap.

"Fine, you want me to cut to the chase? There are Pokemon infected with a dangerously mutated virus that just might mean the end of life as we know it."

A thin smile played along his lips.

"How about _that_ for a goddamned point?"


	4. Chapter 4

4

Home

Soon after that highly troubling sentence, Bede left, promising that he would show my trainers what it meant to battle a true Pokemon Champion.

He reiterated that, had it not been for his admittedly impetuous attempt to get the stardust behind a priceless artifact, he might have been able to wrest the title of Champion of Galar from me.

I didn't bother reminding him we had battled numerous times since he was disavowed by Chairman Rose and he hadn't beaten me once.

It's not like he would have listened to me anyways.

He never listens to anyone.

Still, if my trainers can take on Bede's highly skilled style and survive, it was all the better for them. Adversity under fire or something like that.

Sara came in a few minutes after Bede left and hustled me out to the train station, promising that she'd make sure Gym Leader Bede didn't abuse our trainers.

"Much, in any case," she said with a quick smile. "It's impossible to completely dull his fangs, I'm afraid."

"I'm sorry," I replied, still somewhat in a daze from Bede's sensationalistic news. "I really shouldn't be leaving the gym in this kind of situation."

_The kind of situation where Pokemon are supposedly infected with a virus that could cause unpredictable mutations..._

It was on the tip of my tongue to say as much.

Maybe I had messed up by not telling Sara what Bede had told me. But if I told her, and it turned out to be false, then...wouldn't it have been equally irresponsible on my end to relay such an unverifiable piece of news?

No, not just news.

Something this big was potentially world-altering.

Bede hadn't been wrong when he'd proclaimed in his usual pompous manner that something like this would change life, as we knew it.

Still...

Could I trust him?

Sara slipped the ticket into my hand as the train noiselessly slid into the station.

Maglev technology, courtesy of Chairman Rose, who was currently halfway through his twenty-year sentence at the Chirchester Penitentiary.

"I've gotten you the best seat on the train, Champion," she crowed as she wrested the suitcase from my hands and led the way to the very front of the train.

"Sara, you know I really don't care for that kind of thing," I protested, but aware that my words were falling on deaf ears. For whatever reason, she enjoyed treating me like I was royalty, no matter how many times I've told her to desist.

I guess that was one of the reasons why I was looking forward to going back home to Postwick.

No one treated me like I was better than them in my hometown.

To them, I was just Rin, daughter of Miranda Talbot, the little girl who ran around the village, engaging in all sorts of mischief with her best friend, Hop.

I didn't know just how much I missed that until I stepped off the train a few hours later and straight into the waiting arms of my mother.

"Welcome back, sweetie."

I closed my eyes for a moment, savoring in the smell of her lemon verbena shampoo and just the faintest scent of shortbread cookies that she must have baked especially for me. "I'm home."

Our house was just a few blocks away from the station and on the walk home, I could see that the entire town had decked itself out for Hop's wedding.

Bright red and blue streamers hung from the lampposts, secured by beautiful, intricate bundles of flowers that surely must have been my mother's handiwork.

Little children dressed in their Sunday best, ran around, shouting and laughing at the top of their lungs, as our neighbors waved and called out to us.

None of them treated me any different. I loved every second of it.

"So, what can you tell me about Hop's bride-to-be?"

My mother glanced at me, her brows furrowed. "Have you never met her?"

I laughed, somewhat nervously. "Hah, I'm kind of embarrassed to admit I haven't."

Her frown deepened. "And Hop never told you about her?"

"I..." I looked down, unable to meet her inquiring gaze. "Well, I mean...we've both been busy."

_I'm sorry, Hop. I'm really sorry, but I just can't..._

_Is there someone else?_

What could I possible say?

_Yes. Actually, I've been stupidly in love with your brother since I was thirteen. _

Hop had turned away from me then and walked away.

He never looked back.

"Dear?" Mom's hand on my shoulder shocked me back to the present. "What's wrong? Did something happen between you and Hop?"

I was sure she could see through my wobbly smile, see the truth that we were no longer friends, hardly even acquaintances anymore, but I wasn't ready to admit I'd lost my best friend almost seven years ago. "No, we've just been really busy, you know? And it's not like Sonia lets Hop take any time away from researching Pokemon. She sends him all over Galar and even to Kalos when she's feeling he might be getting a little too big for his britches."

"Oh? Am I right in assuming you're talking more with Sonia than Hop, then?"

"Well, it can't really be helped, can it? After all, she's the one who's stationary, not her assistant whom she sends all over the globe."

I wished I didn't feel so damn defensive.

"Uh huh..." My mother nodded hello to one of our neighbors passing by, who called out to me by name and said how glad they were to see me at home and that they'd seen me on that recent television interview about the upcoming champion challenges.

We made small-talk for a few minutes before they bustled away again, leaving my mother to stare at me, her head cocked to one side.

"Dear, why _are _you here?" She bit the corner of her lip. "That's not to say I don't want you here. But I'm not a fool. I've heard the rumors from Sonia. She knows something happened between you and Hop. Matters of the heart and all that. Are you _sure _you want to be here, at his wedding of all places?"

Crap. "Mom, it's really not that big of a deal. I mean, we were kids. I'm sure Hop's already forgotten about everything."

"Of course, dear."

Yeah, she sounded about as skeptical as I felt about this entire affair.

To be honest, I was surprised to receive the invitation.

Then again...now that I thought about it, it _was_ addressed to the Champion of Galar, not Rin Talbot.

I shook my head and gave Mom a smile so wide it almost hurt. "Anyways, tell me about your gardening experiments."

"Oh, let me tell you about these lilies I'm working on crossbreeding..."

And thusly, we arrived at home, with Mom deep in her explanation of how her tiger lilies absolutely refused to impart their colors into her special stargazer lilies with their lush scent, and I was able to say, with not a little relief, that I needed some rest before the event.

She checked her watch. "Rest? Do you think we have enough time? The guests are expected in half an hour. That hardly gives you enough time to take a shower, and get dressed, no?"

"Five minutes, Mom. Just five minutes."

"Well...if you're sure."

I gave our elderly Munchlax a fond rub on the head as I walked past him to my room.

It had been a few months since I'd been home, but it was here that I felt like Rin Talbot.

Not the Champion.

Just Rin.

The bedsheets smelled fresh and clean and I buried my face into the pillows, taking a deep breath of the crisp, homely scent.

It was the common laundry detergent that my mom had been using for as long as I could remember, but I don't know why I missed it so much. I even used the same back in Wyndon, but there was something about smelling it here, surrounded by all of my childhood things...

I sniffed and rolled over to my side.

My gaze was drawn to a huge poster, fraying and curling slightly at the corners, a little faded from the sun.

It was that of Leon, in his old scarlet cape, throwing his sign in the air, his famous Charizard in stark relief behind him.

Leon.

I could still remember the night I beat him and took his title.

The night I fell absolutely, hopelessly in love with him.

I groaned and buried my face into the pillows.

Last I heard from Sonia, he was affianced to an heiress from some region called Unova.

No doubt I'd see him soon and his fiancé.

And I'd have to smile, shake their hands, wish them well.

It was enough to make me feel ill.

For a moment, just one moment, I considered faking a sudden illness and missing the entire affair altogether.

_Don't be an idiot. _

_You owe it to Hop to show up on his biggest day. _

_You used to be best friends. _

_The least you can do is wish him a happy future with his new bride. _

_Don't be a coward!_

Taking a deep breath, I levered myself out of bed and shuffled to the bathroom.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five – I Take Thee

Wobbling on lavender four-inch high heels Sara had assured me matched my lavender dress to perfection, I held on tightly to my mother's arm as we walked into the outdoor pavilion where Hop was due to wed in thirty minutes.

Everything looked so beautiful. They had set up two sections of folding chairs, one side for the bride's guests and one side for the groom.

The air smelled heavily of the lilies my mother had no doubt contributed, since her flora skills were practically second to none in the region.

Overhead, the sky was a deep purple, glowing reddish-orangish along the horizon. They had set lanterns in strategic locations around the small pasture and along with sudden bursts of light from fireflies, it made a lovely scene.

I couldn't stop the sudden lurch in my chest, the prickling in the corners of my eyes.

My childhood best friend was getting married! I could hardly believe it. I hadn't even had a real relationship. Yet here he was, already about to start his own family.

A string quartet were warming up in the corner near a large, flower-adorned arch. In front, the wedding officiant stood behind a skinny, white podium, flipping through his notes.

Mom steered us towards Hop's parents at the front row of chairs on the right hand column of chairs.

They looked older, more wrinkled, a little more faded.

I supposed my mother was the same.

In that moment, I truly realized I was no longer the little girl who unexpectedly became the next Champion.

I was an adult now.

For some reason, the knowledge was positively depressing.

"Oh, Rin!" Hop's mom gave me an almost bone-crushing hug while his father beamed. "You made it! Don't you look so pretty in that dress! My, how lucky my son is, having two champions at his wedding!"

She looked around the clearing, her head whipping back and forth. "In fact, where is that boy—"

I shot my mom a look of pure desperation.

Help me!

Mom cleared her throat. "Now, Cindy, I'm sure Hop's busy, there's really no need to—"

"There he is!" crowed Mrs. Riley. "Hop, look who's here! It's Rin!"

This time, I groaned out loud, but I don't think anyone heard me, over Mrs. Riley's exuberant shout.

A tall, muscular man with a wild mass of curling hair stepped out from a group of young men, who were sharing a bottle of whiskey between themselves.

"Rin? She made it?" Hop came towards us, grinning widely. "Hey! Long time no see, friend!"

I wondered if he had dropped the "best" part from best friend intentionally.

Or maybe I was just reading into it too much.

Looking like a million bucks in a custom tailored black suit, a white carnation in his breast pocket, he grabbed my hands. "It's been way too long."

"Uh," I managed to say. "Yes."

"How long? Five, six?"

"Se—seven, I think," I replied, honestly surprised to see how much he had changed in those years.

When we were fifteen years old, he had been this weedy thing, still the same height as me, and had as much bulk to him as a winter branch.

Now, he towered over me, broad-shouldered and attractively tan. Being Sonia's assistant really suited him.

"Come on, let's get a look at you!" He flicked his hand around, my hand still in his, and I had no choice but to do a slow three-sixty in front of him.

"Wow." He laughed. "Man, I still remember when we were little kids, running around, hell-bent on becoming the next Pokemon Champion."

The corners of his eyes crinkled. "Even if it wasn't me, I'm glad it was you. At least, one of us got to knock my brother off his throne, right?"

Was that a note of sarcasm I heard? Wasn't it?

Jesus, I really was a basket case.

"And besides, if it wasn't for Sonia giving me her assistant job, I would've never met Jessie. You're going to like her. She kind of reminds me of you. She's tough. The word impossible isn't in her vocabulary. I can't wait for the two of you to meet."

He looked over his shoulder and then smacked himself on the head. It was so reminiscent of our childhood that I was taken aback.

"Ah, that's right. She's waiting for the ceremony to start."

"Of course she is," I remarked, giving him an almost cautious smile. Maybe...maybe we were back to normal again? "It's bad luck for the bride and groom to see each other before the ceremony, you know."

"That's what they say," he replied. "Me personally, I don't believe in crap like that, but my fiancée is kind of nuts about observing traditions."

He tucked my hand into the crook of his elbow and led us away from our smiling parents.

Mostly, I was just relieved to be A: away from his mother who vacillated between laughing like a mad woman or scrunching her nose as if she didn't know if she wanted to cry and B: seemingly back to friend status with the guy I had turned down seven years ago.

Hop was a figure of great passion, even as a child. It was either all or nothing for him; so of course I assumed he'd still be smarting from my rejection when we were teenagers.

Clearly, I had been silly for assuming as much.

We were adults now.

Bygones should be bygones.

Hop led me to the edge of the clearing, well away from the crowd and let go of me to brush a speck of dust off the shoulder of his jacket.

"I'm really happy for you, Hop," I said earnestly. I gave him my first real smile of the day.

It felt good.

"Thanks, Rin." He looked away, his gaze distant. "Thanks for coming. I—I wasn't sure you would."

I stiffened.

Surely, he wasn't referring to the events of a time that was better forgotten? "Why wouldn't I?" My laughter sounded patently false. "I mean, we're best friends."

He turned back to me.

The look in his eyes made my throat tighten.

Oh god.

He hadn't forgotten.

Bygones weren't bygones.

"I haven't forgotten."

His voice was soft, barely above a whisper, but I felt each word as though he had screamed it into my ear.

I fought the urge to step away, to run back to the safety of all the people who would tell Hop to get his shit together, that tonight was his wedding of all things…that he had lost his mind.

My laughter was nervous, stilted. "Oh my God, are you still on that? Come on, Hop, we were kids."

I should've walked away.

But my feet were rooted into place. I don't think I could have run if a rampaging Rhydon was barreling toward me.

His hand wrapped around my wrist, painfully tight.

"Don't make me do this," he begged. "I'm only getting married to her to forget about you."

If only I could plug my ears and scream continuously until Hop gave up.

"Hop, it's just nerves. I promise."

I sounded just as desperate.

He was begging not to get married, while I was begging him to get married.

Besides, the scandal that would ensue if Hop walked away from this marriage would literally send his mother to her deathbed.

And if it turned out he'd walked away with me…

I shuddered, not daring to consider the ramifications.

Surreptitiously, I tried to twist my wrist out of his grasp. Okay, maybe not so surreptitiously, but I was trying to do in a way that didn't make him angry.

"Please, Hop, if you're getting married for the wrong reasons, then I think you should stop this ceremony," I replied. "But don't blame me. I have never once given you any idea that I'd be interested in you as more than just friends!"

The moment the words left my mouth, I wanted to cram them back in.

A light vanished in Hop's eyes, and something in me wanted to crawl into the underbrush and die a slow, lingering death.

"Hop, I—"

His jaw tightened as he flung my wrist away, hard enough to make it slam into my chest. "You haven't changed, have you? Still the same old bitch."

The bottom dropped out of my stomach as I stared at him.

Suddenly, why did I feel like I was in the wrong?

I wanted to say something, but I was terrified of exacerbating the current situation.

Although, to be honest, I didn't know how much worse the situation could get.

Heat rose in the back of my eyes, but I clenched my jaws tight, unwilling to let him see how his words, his tone hurt me.

"Don't," I whispered, terrified to talk louder for fear that I'd start bawling. "Please, don't. I've already told you how I feel about you, about us. For our families sake, for your fiancee's sake, can't we just pretend like we're old friends?"

He took a deep, shuddering breath and ran a hand through his thick hair. "Why'd you even come? Did you come to watch me marry a woman who'll be a poor substitute to you? Did you come to taunt me with the knowledge that I'll never have you, no matter what?"

I pressed a fist to my lips, unable to meet his searing gaze. "Stop."

He jerked his head back toward the crowd that was slowly starting to take their seats as the quartet began to play in earnest. "Then go. Get out of here."

If only I could. But my legs were rooted to the ground. "Why'd you invite me?"

He was still for a moment. "Because…I thought if you came, knowing our history, it would…" He sighed. "I thought it would mean that you realized you made a huge mistake all those years ago. That you'd finally come to your senses."

His shoulders slumped. "I put everything on the line. Made the wager of a lifetime."

I couldn't stop myself.

I know I shouldn't have.

I should've turned around and walked back to the crowd.

Shown my ex-best friend no remorse, no quarter.

But he looked so downtrodden that I couldn't help but put a hand on his shoulder, unable to differentiate between this young man to the kid who tromped all over Galar with me.

"Hop, don't do this," I said quietly. "I don't know who your fiancee is, but if you go through this marriage, not only will you ruin your life, you'll ruin hers as well. Not to mention, the anguish you'll put your family through."

I glanced around his shoulder (since he now stood a half a foot taller than me now) and noted with alarm that people were starting to look around for Hop.

His mother looked especially frazzled as she leaned against his dad, whispering frantically in his ear.

No one thought to look in the thick copse of trees behind them, and hidden as well as we were behind a trio of particularly thick trees, it was likely they'd never find us.

Which was probably just as well, because Hop looked like a mess, with his hair on end, his naturally tanned complexion reddened.

"You should go." I gave his shoulder a soft push. "Whether you choose to continue this wedding or stop it is up to you, but at the very least, don't make the people who care about you worry."

I hadn't meant to hold onto him for that long.

It was supposed to be friendly. God knows how many times we've gotten into mock fights growing up, rolling around on the ground while we tried to get the other into a headlock.

His hand lashed out, grabbed mine just as I was pulling away.

He tugged, pulling me wildly off balance.

Teetering on those precariously high, delicate heels, I pitched forward.

Then Hop was there, right before me, smelling like gardenias and something more woodsy, almost spicy.

The front of his tuxedo was infinitely soft underneath my fingertips as I braced myself to keep from smashing into his chest.

His hand cupped the back of my head, tilted it up until the only thing I could see were his dark, fathomless eyes.

I knew what he was going to do.

I've seen enough tv shows to know exactly what he wanted.

But I was helpless to stop him.

His lips were hard, cruel even, and he tasted faintly of whiskey.

Despite my rather inadequate experience with kissing, I'd done it enough over the years to know that, somewhere along the line, my childhood ex-best friend had definitely spent more time refining his technique than I had.

Had it been any other situation, any other person, I think I might have capitulated.

Giving in would have been so easy.

_Snap. _

The faint crackling of a branch being stepped on finally, mercifully brought me back to my senses and with a fortitude I didn't know I possessed, I wrenched away from him.

"No!" I staggered back.

My left foot went down at an awkward angle, the heel digging deep into the soft dirt, and then my ankle bent in.

Oh god, I was going to fall!

I saw Hop, wide-eyed, his mouth open wordlessly, as he tried to grab me.

But at that point, I think I would've rather let my self fall than let him touch me again.

And risk that happening again.

But I didn't.

Fall, I mean.

Instead, something cradled me from behind.

No, someone.

Someone with strong arms who smelled faintly of grass and my mother's special lilies.


End file.
